Duplex rail assembly for line casting machines



Aug. 19, 1952 ELLIS 2,607,473

DUPLEX RAIL ASSEMBLY FOR LINE CASTING MACHINES Filed Sept. 19. 1949 v 2' sums-m1 1 BY .7 p

HTTORNEK Aug. 19, 1952 fs 2,607,473,

DUPLEX RAIL ASSEMBLY FOR'LINE SASTING MACHINES Filed Sept. 19. 1949 Y 2' sassrswsrmz'r 2 W! 050 BY v./ F

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Patented Aug. 19, 1952 DUPLEX RAIL ASSEMBLY FOR LINE I CASTING MACHINES Thomas Franklin Ellis, Topeka, Kans. Application September 19, 1949, Serial No. 116,568

This invention relates to type-setting or composing machines of the kind utilizing matrices that are assembled into justified lines, cast or molded upon a bar or slug and returned to a magazine for reuse, the primary object being to improve upon the stick or assembling elevator forming a part of such machines.

Those skilled in this art are familiar with the operation of machines of the above character, wherein, through use of a keyboard and its related parts, matrices are released from a magazine in the order in which the characters are desired. The released matrices are delivered to an assembling elevator or assembler provided with rails for receiving legs or ears forming part of, each matrix. The assembler is conventionally provided with a pair of auxiliary or duplex rails, one of which receives thematrices in a raised or auxiliary position, the other being movable to and from a position permitting the matrices to assume a lower or regular position in alignment upon a stationary support rail.

This invention relates specifically to improvements in the above described assembler and particularly to improvements in the matrix supporting rail structure thereof, the primary object being to provide a single rail for supporting the matrices in the auxiliary position, such rail being shiftable along a pair of intersecting paths of travel, one to move the same entirely to an inoperative position, and the other to move the same toa position permitting movement of the matrices to the regular, lower rail position while maintaining previously assembled matrices in the raised position.

It is the most important object of this invention to provide rail structure as above set forth capable of permitting rapid assembly of the matrices at two different levels in the assembler whereby the operator may instantly use either character of the matrix and thereby compose a single character word, phrase or sentence in bold face type for instance, and succeeding words or phrases in regular type.

yAnother important object of this invention is to provide anassembler having a shiftable rail for supporting matrices in an auxiliary position and provided with an underlying actuating plate for moving the same in one direction, the rail being shiftable in another direction relative to the plate for permitting a predetermined number of matrices to move to the regular position in the assembler while the shiftable rail maintains matrices thereon in said auxiliary position.

Other objects of this invention relateto the 3' Claims. (01. 199-29) way in which the aforesaid plate is filled within a cavity formed in a head portion of the assembler frame; the way in which said plate is held to permit free movement of the shiftable rail relative thereto; the means of actuating the ,shiftable rail through use of said plate either by Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, elevational view showing a portio-nof the foot control therefor. Fig. 3 is an enlarged, detailed, transverse cross- ,sectional view taken on line IIIIII of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4, is a transverse cross-sectional view taken on lineIV-IV of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective, stretched-out View showing parts of the assembler including the rail structure improvement hereof; and,

Fig. 6 is an inverted plan view of the rail actuating plate per se.

In Fig. l of the drawings there is illustrated the conventional keyboard It forming a part of the type-setting machine to which this invention re- Through selective pressing of keys l2 of board In, an operator releases desired matrices from a magazine therefor (not shown) for delivery via throat I4 to an assembler broadly designated bythe numeral I6.

Assembler It includes a frame 18 having a horizontal head 20 that in turn is provided with a depending stem 22 fastened at its lowermost end by screw 24. Fig. 1 also illustrates the conventional backing plate 26, gate 28, and gate spring. 36 forming a part of the assembling elevator unit l6.

Matrices used with a machine of this character are provided with opposed lugs serving to support the same within the assembler [6 between frame l8 and backing plate 26 as the same are delivered through throat l4. Justification and distribution is automatic and the matrices are next presented to a casting mechanism (not shown) where molten metal is forced into indented characters formed on the edges of the matrices After the matrices have been used to cast a line on a bar or slug, they are redelivered to the storage magazine therefor.

Normally the matrices are received by a rail 32 32 and separating the latter from cavity 36. The

ends 49 of cavity 38 are spaced from the proximal ends of head 20 and are rounded as the same merge with wall 38. The bottom of cavity 36 is flat and horizontal in parallelism with shoulder or rail 32.

An elongated plate 42, complementary in shape with cavity 36, is only slightly shorter than the cavity 36 but appreciably wider as is shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Plate 42 is at least as thick as the depth of cavity .36 and is adapted to fit therewithin for transverse sliding movement on the bottom wall of cavity 36.-

V Superimposed upon plate 42 is a narrower, elongated auxiliary matrix supporting rail 44. Hall 44 is longer than plate 42 and cavity 36 and has superimposed thereover a retaining bar 46. Bar 48 is held in'place on head by screws or the 'like 48 extending into face v34 of head 20 outw'ardly from each end respectively of cavity 35. Perforated shims or blocks 50 for each screw 48 are interposed between bar 46 and face 34 to clear rail 44.

Head 26 of frame i8 has a plurality of outwardly extending bearings 52 on the front vertical face thereof for rotatably receiving a horizontal shaft 54. Shaft 54 is in turn provided with upstanding arms 56, one of which extends downwardly into a finger 58. Arms 55 are received at their uppermost ends by openings 66 formed in plate 42 near that marginal edge thereof overlapping shaft 54. it is through actuation of finger control 58 that plate 42 is moved transversely within cavity 36 as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3. A transverse pin 6! in at least one of the arms 56 overlies plate 42 to prevent tipping thereof.

The aforesaid marginal edge of plate 42 has a notch 62 formed therein intermediate its ends 7 for clearing a U-shaped, downwardly facing ear '64 extending laterally from the outermost longitudinal edge of rail 44. Upwardly extending pins i6 on plate 42 extending through clearingslots 88 in rail 44 are engaged by the lower face of retaining bar 43. The latter thereby serves to hold plate 42 downwardly and thereby provides clearance for movement of rail 44 relative to .plate 42. Conversely, pins 66 could obviously be placed on bar and bear on plate 42 after passing through clearance spaces at openings in rail 42.

A pair of spaced spring-pressed balls H! in head 2E and registering with cavity 36 bear on the lowermost face of plate 42. A pair of indentations i2 and 14 are formed in plate 42 for each ball l9 respectively. indentations 12 receive balls 10 to yieldably hold plate 42 at one end of its path of travel adjacent wall 38, and indentations 14 yieldably hold plate 42' in the dotted line position of Fig. 3.

Rail'44 has a pair of legs 16 and Is extending from the ends thereof, lug 18 receiving the matrices as the same are delivered to rail 44 and lug l8 guiding the matrices from the assembler. An L-shapedclip 88 on lug 73' serves to move the matrices along the assembler each time rail 44 is actuated for longitudinal movement to a position for permitting matrices to fall tothe regular position on rail 32. A guide 82 on rail 44 overlies and slides along the top face of bar 46, as rail 44 reciprocates longitudinally.

A coiled or helical spring 34 having one end thereof attached to a pin 85 on ear 64 and the opposite end secured to that arm 56 adjacent clip 82, yieldably holds rail 44 at one end of its longitudinal path of travel. 7 v n D It is seen that the innermost marginal edge of rail 44 is normally in a position overlying rail 32 as shown in Fig. 4 and in full lines in Fig.3. vAc- "tuation of finger 58 rotates shaft 54 to retract plate 44 away from wall 38 through arms 56 and to a position where indentations 14 receive balls '10 instead of indentations l2.

Because of the passage of pins 65 through slots 68, rail 44 is likewise moved transversely to an inoperative position where the innermost longitudinal edge of rail 44 is flush with the proximal edge of face 34. In such position of rail 44, matrices are free to fall upon the rail 32 and all matrices will be assembled in the lower or regular position.-

When rail 44 is in the operative position it may also be'moved temporarily to a position permitting assembling of matrices on rail 32 by shifting rail 44 longitudinally against the action of spring 84-. 7 Such shifting movement is efiected by swinging an L'-shap'ed lever 88 on its pivotal mounting 99. 'One end of lever 88 extends into ear 64 while the opposite end thereof overlies one end of a link '52. Link 92 is pivoted at 94 adjacent keyboard H3 and has an actuating knob 96 on its opposite end.

Lever 88 may also be swung on pivot through use of a foot pedal 98 pivoted at I06. A rigidly secured, U-shaped bracket I02 receives a vertically reciprocable rod H14 having a bifurcated, uppermost end I96 embracing link 92. The lowermost end of rod I04 is pivotally secured to pedal as. A spring I08, coiled about rod 104 within bracket I02, has the-lowermost end thereof bearirig' against bracket I02 and its opposite end bearihgag'ains't a collar I ill on rod [04. A second collar H2 on rod 194 below bracket I02 normally bears against a lock finger I|4 pivotally secured to bracket 1'62. Insuch normal position,-finger H4 holds spring -l 5'8 compressed and end I06 of rod I 94 sufficiently clear of link 92 to permit free use or the latter in swinging lever 88 and thus shifting fail 44. j

Wl-ienfing'e'r I I4 is swung clear of collar H2, the operator :p-r'esses downwardly on'pedal98 until he desires to shift rail'44;v Release of pressure on pedal 38 permits spring mete move rod 34 upwardly to swing link 92 and lever 88.

I is thus seen that rail 44 is movable relative to plate 42 by swinging of lever 88 and when rail 44 is moved against the action of spring 84, lug 7-8 will be clear of matrices emanating from throat i4; Hc i-wever, such longitudinal swinging movemetor rail-44 is separate from transverse movement of rail 44 and plate 42. Rail 44 will retain all matrices assembled thereon while assembling thereof on rail 32 takes place. And, upon release ()f kildb 9601 upon downward movement of pedal 98, spring 84 will carry rail 44 back to a matrix receiving position. Both the upper matrices, previously assembled on rail 44 and those assembled on rail 32 will move'along the assembling elevator while additional matrices are arranged in alignmenton rail 44. Each time rail 44 is moved by lever 28:8, clip '80 will move the matrices and spacezrs clear of additional matrices being fed to It is apparent that the operator may render rail 44 entirely inoperative by use of finger control 58, thereby casting only the upper characters of the matrix by assembling the same on rail 32. Or, through use or rail 44, all matrices may be caused to ride on rail 44 thereby casting the lower characters of the matrices. And, as a third alternate, he may cast upper and lower characters selectively as desired through utilization of either finger knob 96 or foot pedal 98.

When the rail 44 is in use, matrices are assembled directly thereupon without transfer first from another duplex rail as is the common practice. And rail 44 can be shifted entirely out of the way when regular assembling takes place. In either case the operator is assured that the matrices will fall into the position desired without jamming irrespective of the speed of operation of keys l2. The overall speed of operation ha proved to have increased appreciably and through use of the simple easily accessible controls described above the operators attention to keyboard operation is not detracted nor is concentration upon his work interrupted as in the case of usual types of assembler constructions.

Notable also is the ease in which conventional assemblers, including those not herein shown can be converted to embody the present improvements as well as the lack of expen e in the conversion.

Such changes and modifications as fairly come within the spirit of this invention are manifestly contemplated hereby, and it is therefore desired to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. An assembling elevator including a frame having a lowermost matrix receiving rail and an uppermost face provided with a cavity; a bar spaced above said face of the frame; means for securing the bar to the frame; an elongated plate beneath the bar and shiftable within said cavity on its transverse axis only; an elongated, uppermost, matrix-receiving rail member normally overlying said lowermost rail; and means mounting said uppermost rail for reciprocable movement on its longitudinal axis between the bar and the plate and relative thereto, said mounting joining the plate and the uppermost rail for shifting the latter on its transverse axis upon movement of the plate within the cavity along said transverse axis or the plate.

2. An assembling elevator including a frame having a lowermost matrix receiving rail and an uppermost face provided with a cavity; a bar spaced above said face of the frame; means for securing the bar to the frame; an elongated plate beneath the bar and shiftable within said cavity on its transverse axis only; an elongated, uppermost, matrix-receiving rail member normally overlying said lowermost rail; and means mounting said uppermost rail for reciprocable movement on its longitudinal axis between the bar and the plate and relative thereto, said mounting means joining the plate and the uppermost rail for shifting the latter on its transverse axis upon movement of the plate within the cavity along said transverse axis of the plate, said mounting means including longitudinallyextending, elongated slots formed in the rail and an upstanding pin on the plate for each slot re spectively and extending thereinto.

3. An assemblin elevator including a frame having a lowermost matrix receiving rail and an uppermost face provided with a cavity; a bar spaced above said face of the frame; means for securing the bar to the frame; an elongated plate beneath the bar and shiftable within said cavity on its transverse axis only; an elongated, uppermost, matrix-receiving rail member normally overlying said lowermost rail; means mounting said uppermost rail for reciprocable movement on its longitudinal axis between the bar and the plate and relative thereto, said mounting means joining the plate and the uppermost rail for shifting the latter on its transverse axis upon movement of the plate within the cavity along said transverse axis of the plate; and resilient means carried by said frame within the cavity and bearing against said plate for yieldably holding the latter at either end of its path of travel.

THOMAS FRANKLIN ELLIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PA'IENTS Number Name Date 872,967 Parkinson Dec. 3, 1907 1,701,579 Marlatt Feb. 12, 1929 2,172,087 McKeel Sept. 5, 1939 2,356,959 Wauson et al Aug. 29, 1944 

